Catholic Hermit Focuses on Bit of Colossians

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God."

Sometimes it seems as if Scripture is as a first-time reading, when in reality  we have read or heard it being read on many occasions.  I'm having this effect over Colossians 3--an optional first reading from Mass a couple days or so ago.  In a few lines, there is just so much spiritual meat for my mind and soul.

And it is practical, as well, to consider living it out such as the above: teach and admonish each other from the wisdom that is Christ's Word dwelling in us--richly!  His Word dwells in us richly!  Oh, my, yes it does!

Sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs--with gratitude in our hearts--to God.  Or, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs--with gratitude in our hearts to God. Either way, we sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.  We sing them to God, and we sing them with gratitude in our hearts, and we sing them with gratitude to God.

So the effects of the Living Word, of the word of Christ, can dwell in us richly if we let it dwell, and dwell richly.  Then in all wisdom, we can teach and admonish one another.  All these details and aspects of Christ's Word can thus be alive in us and through us, to others.

I suppose my singing of the psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs will be done interiorly, without outer utterance while I work.  If I had better circumstances--not construction zone--I'd unpack the CD player and listen to others singing them, and interiorly sing along.  But for now and what may be quite awhile, I will silently consider that I am singing with the angels, or will think of some songs and psalms and hymns--just think about them and let that be the silent singing.

Of course, I will attempt the silent singing and thinking of singing, with a heart of gratitude to God.

And this next bit of Living Word is equally exciting in the living out:

"And whatever you do, in word or in deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him."

I just received Holy Communion in tangible form of consecrated Host by the Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers from the parish.  Yes, the couple arrived, and the man said he'd met me--or that I'd spoken to him, and he to me one time.  I remembered!  I had asked him about a hammer drill--if that is necessary to drill into concrete block.  He had given me some suggestions as to possibly a corded drill being strong enough.  (My very old corded drill did not have the power, as it turned out, and a hammer drill was necessary, which brought another escapade in my life, with someone other.)

Anyway, whatever we do, in word, thought, action--do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.  I can do this!  I can go up the ladder to the second floor and continue scraping the old painted newspaper and remove the tiny tacks from the wood ceiling up there.  I can do this in the name of Lord Jesus.

Plus, I can give thanks to God the Father through Jesus, Who I will name as the One through Whom I am doing the ceiling work.  And I can do the same for hanging smaller pieces of drywall.  And I can do the same when I eat some tomato-onion soup for lunch.  And I can try to stretch out the painful liver area of my side in the name of the Lord Jesus and do so giving thanks to God the Father, through Jesus.

On this solemnity of Mary, Mother of God--Theotokos--I can think about how grateful I am for this couple who came, and who said they will come back next Sunday.  I did say I would call them if I get some gumption and get a grip and return to Mass.

But a few disjointed traumatic experiences of the past in other parishes, and how the relatively minor shunning and picayune incidents in this one--bubbled out in explanation as to how the devil works on me and discourages me, but also how it has become a bit like post traumatic stress disorder with any little upset from others, triggering the more awful ones of the past.  The couple seems to understand, and they repeated they will come next Sunday and will continue to.  I can think of this couple with thanks to God through Jesus, even thinking of the couple in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Now, to climb up that ladder in the name of Jesus and with gratitude to God.